The average wage for a food server in Illinois is around $10.55 per hour.
Avg Wage
Food servers earn an average hourly wage of $10.55.
Salaries typically start from $8.29 per hour and go up to $13.43 per hour.
68% below national average Updated in 2018
Food server earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level food server earnings begin at:
$13.43 per hour
$27,925 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level food server earnings begin at:
$11.98 per hour
$24,909 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level food server earnings begin at:
$10.55 per hour
$21,938 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level food server earnings begin at:
$9.29 per hour
$19,321 per year
10th percentile
Starting level food server earnings begin at:
$8.29 per hour
$17,234 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Food server salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $52,110 |
| Vermont | $31,880 |
| New York | $31,534 |
| District of Columbia | $30,240 |
| Connecticut | $29,033 |
| Oregon | $28,749 |
| California | $28,387 |
| Washington | $27,720 |
| Maine | $27,550 |
| New Jersey | $27,530 |
| Massachusetts | $27,020 |
| Alaska | $26,480 |
| Nebraska | $25,610 |
| Nevada | $24,980 |
| New Hampshire | $24,850 |
| Pennsylvania | $24,175 |
| Michigan | $24,109 |
| Florida | $24,088 |
| Rhode Island | $23,980 |
| Maryland | $23,410 |
| Missouri | $23,333 |
| Indiana | $22,875 |
| Texas | $22,465 |
| Minnesota | $22,360 |
| Illinois | $21,938 |
| North Carolina | $21,718 |
| Ohio | $21,512 |
| Iowa | $21,367 |
| Colorado | $21,230 |
| Kansas | $21,198 |
| Arizona | $21,125 |
| Montana | $20,990 |
| Louisiana | $20,839 |
| Idaho | $20,780 |
| Utah | $20,590 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $20,380 |
| Delaware | $20,150 |
| West Virginia | $20,080 |
| Georgia | $20,074 |
| Virginia | $20,030 |
| South Dakota | $20,010 |
| Oklahoma | $19,609 |
| Wisconsin | $19,590 |
| Kentucky | $19,450 |
| Guam | $19,120 |
| Wyoming | $19,100 |
| Mississippi | $18,760 |
| New Mexico | $18,740 |
| North Dakota | $18,720 |
| South Carolina | $18,500 |
| Alabama | $18,480 |
| Tennessee | $18,444 |
| Puerto Rico | $18,040 |
| Arkansas | $17,867 |
How do food server salaries compare to similar careers?
Food servers earn about the same as related careers in Illinois. On average, they make less than nail technicians but more than cashiers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Nail technician salary | $24K |
| Host and hostess salary | $24K |
| Restaurant cook salary | $23K |
| Library assistant salary | $22K |
| Barista salary | $22K |
| Food server salary | $22K |
| Amusement attendant salary | $20K |
| Cashier salary | $21K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)